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Texas Oilfield Tragedy Ends In Death of San Angelo Man

There are more people making a living in the oil and gas industry here in Texas than ever before it seems. In the ten year span from 2003 to 2013, the number of workers has doubled and drilling has increased by over 70 percent.

At Lapeze & Johns, we’ve seen that with this rise in the oil and gas industry there has also been a growing awareness of the inherent dangers of working in this field. Though the number of deaths has fallen in recent years, oilfield workers are by no means safe.

Earlier this month, 63-year-old Bud Taylor, a pipeline worker from San Angelo, was killed in Midland County in an explosion. Taylor was on-site to inspect a leak that was discovered in the El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline when he was caught in the blast.

In addition to Taylor, who had worked for 30 years in the field, two firefighters responding to the situation and four pipeline workers were also injured. All were transported to University Medical Center in Lubbock.

Taylor ultimately passed away on the 10th from the injuries he sustained. The reason for the leak that caused the explosion that claimed Taylor’s life, and two subsequent ones, was not immediately known.

The incident is under investigation by the pipeline operator, KinderMorgan, but these inquiries are typically slow-moving affairs.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a US Department of Transportation agency that posts the results of investigations into these accidents on their website, have found that they typically take at least six months for any determination to be reached.

On top of that wait, it usually takes many additional years for those findings to be publicly posted.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an oil field accident, you don’t have to wait to take action. Contact your Texas oilfield injury attorneys at Lapeze & Johns today at 713.739.1010 and we’ll fight to get you the compensation you deserve. With over $385 million collected for our clients, we have the experience and ability to get you every penny you need to properly recover.

We don’t just ask for your trust. We work harder than anyone else to earn it.